Books on business, leadership, career advice, and personal development and growth are usually targeted to all readers, but today’s new book release is an exception. “Existing While BLACK in Corporate America” by Rudy Jones speaks directly to black readers but some of the material, such as the future of the workforce with the rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence component and the importance of being your own boss, is essential business advice that everyone can use. So, with that said, if you are looking for a business guide on navigating the corporate world, check out Rudy Jones’ new book, especially if you are black in corporate America. It is available on Amazon.

“Existing While BLACK in Corporate America” – After the Reconstruction era black people were stuck working for former slave owners on farms and plantations throughout the United States. Although they were technically no longer slaves, they endured harsh and unfair treatment. During the early 20th Century, they saw the fruits of their labor come to fruition when black businesses opened in parts of the country. Black people understood that because of their history and Jim Crow, they could not just work for anyone and expect a fair shake. They had to rely on their resiliency and fighting spirit to persevere. Some time after the civil rights movement they were able to access spaces once prohibited and they became content with working for anyone. This book examines their existence in corporate America. Some of the experiences will be discussed in this book and how they should maneuver going forward. (Rudy Jones, 2023)

In the Introduction, the author gives his background and the struggles he faced as a black man in corporate America for 20 years, which included roadblocks to career advancement. He shares his experiences and the lessons learned and hopes to help young professionals just entering the workforce while inspiring older professionals to think critically about the future of the job market and how it will affect black people. The book is divided into nine chapters, including How Will Artificial Intelligence Impact Black People and Black Women In Corporate America. Personally, he did everything right: got the job done, his job performance was above average, he had excellent evaluations, but still could not climb up the corporate ladder because he was not seen as ‘trustworthy’ and in the end, that is what matters the most. Highlights include Chapter 2 Why is it so Hard for Black People to Network? where he writes that black people have no access to those in senior leadership and when there are black people in these roles, it is hard to establish relationships with them but they should learn to work together because “Power is not in the individual but in the group;” and Chapter 7 How Will Artificial Intelligence Impact Black People where he questions whether AI will one day learn anti-black biases and racism. The chapters are short but the content is useful and eye-opening. With language that is easy to understand, the author does an excellent job of breaking down the difficulties that black people encounter in the business world and offers solutions to navigating an increasingly toxic office culture. Even though “Existing While BLACK in Corporate America” speaks directly to black workers and offers them exceptional life and business advice, everyone can benefit from it, especially the focus on being our own boss and which industries are considered AI proof. It is a must read and recommended for readers interested in business and workplace guidebooks who can also appreciate learning more about the black experience in corporate America.

“There is no difference between world politics and office politics because politics is war.”

*The author was contacted for an honest review of this book. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.